Unfortunately, even obvious symptoms can be missed by physicians. For this reason, patients from Ohio and Kentucky can always use a second opinion if they suspect something is being missed or misdiagnosed. One illness that is increasingly being misdiagnosed among patients under the age of 50 is cancer – in particular colorectal cancer.
Rates of colorectal cancer have been on the rise for individuals under fifty. This comes about in part because doctors are not looking for this type of cancer. And because this is occurring, the situation becomes exasperated when it takes doctors a much longer period of time to correctly diagnose that such cancer is present.
For example, a 26-year-old woman was not diagnosed with stage 3 rectal cancer for almost eight years. Though she is now cancer free, she is certainly not pleased with the failure to diagnose the illness.
Especially when it comes to cancer, such a disease progresses if left untreated. Stage 1 or stage 2 cancer can soon become stage 3 or stage 4 cancers. In too many instances, such cancer can turn out to be untreatable.
Obviously, early screenings for cancer will help prevent such a cancer from spreading. Though we don’t immediately focus on medical costs when we receive a cancer verdict, ultimately, financial costs are much greater in cases of misdiagnosed cancer than in cases where the cancer is immediately treated.
Attorneys can help patients seek reimbursement for such unnecessary costs due to a misdiagnosis. Such attorneys can also send the message that doctors need to be more vigilant in diagnosing and treating cancer.
If a medical professional failed to diagnose you or someone you love and it led to further injury or death, you have the right to obtain compensation through a medical malpractice claim. For a completely confidential and free consultation regarding your medical misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose claim, call the experienced Kentucky and Ohio medical malpractice attorneys at TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm today.
Source: The Baltimore Sun, “More younger people getting colorectal cancer,” Andrea K. Walker, July 29, 2012